LONG ISLAND, NY – This is the 12th year that the Nassau County Dental Society (NCDS) is participating in Give Kids A Smile, a nation-wide campaign by the American Dental Association (ADA) to provide care and raise awareness of the importance of access to dental care for low-income children. The NCDS’ particular Give Kids A Smile program is specifically designed to identify children in Nassau County who are most in need of essential dental services and to help those children get the services they need. During our one-day event, we provide dental screenings, fluoride treatments and oral hygiene education to hundreds of local children from underserved areas. The event is sponsored by Henry Schein who really makes this event possible. Post-event, NCDS contacts the families of the children who need further care and this year some of the children will be treated at North Shore LIJ Medical Center’s dental department.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 1 in 4 children in New York State aged 2 to 11 years have untreated cavities in his or her baby teeth. The Dental Society addresses this important health issue through Give Kids A Smile – identifying dental issues, providing preventative and emergency treatment, and distributing educational materials to an anticipated 1500 children ages 4-7 at the Cradle of Aviation Museum event on February 6th. This activity will greatly increase the rate of dental care for children from underserved communities in Nassau County, as students from more than 25 local schools are expected to attend. The Academy is working to facilitate transportation to the event from schools in Uniondale, Hempstead, Roosevelt, Westbury, Lawrence and Freeport, among other low-income and underserved areas. Children found to be in need of further treatment will be identified and referred to local dentists.
On Give Kids A Smile Day, more than 100 dentists, along with hygienists, auxiliary dental staff and students, will serve as volunteers, providing free dental screenings, fluoride treatments and oral hygiene instruction for children ages 4-7. In addition, there will be a mobile dental van in which a number of children will be provided with emergency treatment to address their individual dental needs. During their visit, children will view video presentations and attend interactive puppet shows regarding oral hygiene. The children will be entertained by Ronald McDonald who will be present from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and each child will go home with a certificate for a Free Happy Meal , donated by Long Island McDonald’s. Each child will be given tools for good oral health in a backpack filled with supplies. The Cradle of Aviation Museum, as well as the Firefighters Museum will be open for all children to explore and, as a special treat, many children will also have the opportunity to ride the Nunley’s Carousel before returning to school.
The National Institutes of Health reports that 75 percent of tooth decay is found in just 25 percent of children, primarily from low-income families. Public health programs such as Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) are supposed to help underserved children, but utilization rates are low. Many children enrolled in Medicaid receive no dental services throughout the year; the percent of children enrolled in Medicaid receiving any dental service is only about 25.3%. It is clear that we need to increase access to dental care and through Give Kids A Smile the NCDS can help more children get the dental care they need.
